The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) faces significant legal hurdles following its recent national elections. A group of lawyers has petitioned the Abuja Federal High Court to block the scheduled August 21, 2026, inauguration of President-elect Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, and her fellow executive officers.
Badejo-Okusanya won the presidency with 12,317 votes, surpassing opponents Lateef Akangbe, SAN, and Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN. However, claims of technical glitches and procedural irregularities during the electronic voting process have prompted this new legal action. The request to stall the inauguration is part of an ongoing lawsuit, FHC/ABJ/CS/1471/2026, initiated by the Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) against the Attorney-General of the Federation and the NBA.
The plaintiff seeks to add the newly elected officials and several observer groups—including Amnesty International, YIAGA, and the Transition Monitoring Group—as parties to the case. ALDRAP is requesting an injunction to maintain the status quo until the court determines the legality of the election. Jesse Williams Amuga, the Administrative Secretary for ALDRAP, voiced concerns over the lack of transparency, noting that no election observer groups have issued reports regarding the integrity of the e-voting platform used during the polls.
